Gift
by Dissimilis
Summary: Based on Pokemon Mystery Dungeons: A human is turned into a Riolu and forced to live in a world where humans went extinct long ago. Will he learn to survive with the help of another Riolu? Maybe.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Don't own Pokemon.**

Started: 8/5/14

He can hear the rustle of the trees around, the wind cascading them leisurely. It was rather relaxing, to simply listen to it. His eyes felt heavy behind his eyelids and all he wanted to do was go back to sleep.

"Hello? Hellooooo?"

He blinked and his nose twitched irritably. Who?

His eyes went cross-eyed from trying to look at whoever was in front of his face. It sounded like a young child, effeminate voice, and it was wearing a lot of blue.

The child grinned. "Glad to see you awake, kid! Had me worried for a second!"

_Kid? __**Kid?**_ He hadn't been a kid in twenty something years! He'd show that... blue, dog thingy?

"Um... no offense, but what?" He gestured to all of the... dog thingy.

"Huh? You don't recognize someone from your own kind? Maybe that storm really threw you for a dozy, huh?" The dog thingy scratched the back of it's head, _as if it was trying to think!_ "I'm Cole. What's your name?"

_My name? It's..._ "Gift. My name is Gift."

"Gift? Your parents musta not known what to name you, huh? Where are they?"

"Dead."

"So you're alone like me! That's great- I mean, not great. Which is to say, not good! Oh, I'm messing everything up!"

"Just keep talking." Indeed, a talking bipedal doggy was strangely fascinating thing to watch.

"Okay... What's your favorite berry? And what's that?" The doggy tried to lightly tap his necklace, but Gift held it firmly in his paws.

He glared at the doggy. "Mine."

The doggy shrugged. "Okay."

"Help! Help!" A bird came flying by, screeching hysterically. _This keeps getting better and better._

"What's wrong?" Cole asked the bird calmly and gently.

"My baby! My baby! He's trapped in a cave! Please help me!"

"Okay! Ready to go, Gift?"

"No."

Gift tripped many times getting to the cave, one covered by a landslide.

"Even if we're not really strong, we're still Riolu! We can break this down!" Cole said, pumped and ready.

_In the next ten years. We need to find an alternative solution. And what's a Riolu?_ "Do you think we can dig under the landslide? That would probably be easier." _Unless the tunnel collapses and then we're dead, assuming this isn't a dream or caused by recreational chemicals._

Cole blushed. "Um, I don't know Dig," he mumbled.

There was a moment of silence from Gift. "You're a dog... a naturally born dog, and you don't know how to dig?"

"I wasn't taught, and it's not like there's anyone around to teach me." Cole looked at the ground with his paws clasped behind his back like a guilty child.

"It's easy, like this." Gift got on the ground and clawed at the ground. Then he started piling the dirt and throwing it to the side.

**Gift learned Dig!**

"What was that?!"

"What was what?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

After digging for what felt like hours, music suddenly interrupted Gift's meditation and repetition.

**Cole learned Dig!**

"Aaaag!" Gift flopped to the ground.

"Gift, are you okay? Do you want me to take over?"

_"Si._ Leave me alone."

Gift caught up with the dog and started digging alongside him when they finally reached the end.

Cole popped his head out first. "We made it! Okay, now all we need to do... is..."

"Cole, get your butt_ out of my face._" Gift forced the dog out by pushing him and saw what made the dog stop short.

"That is not a baby."

"Nope."

The bird in front of them was bigger than the one they left behind! It was also clicking his beak at the two of them.

"Um, sir! I think your wife outside sent us to rescue you. Are you comfortable going underground?"

"No. I will follow you once you leave."

"Okay!" They hurried back into their tunnel, exhausted. They walked for a while in silence before Cole interrupted it.

"At least we didn't have to fight anybody. You look ready to kneel over."

"Speak for yourself," Gift grumbled. He stopped in his tracks. Before, the tunnel could only fit the two of them. But in the span of that time, the tunnel grew bigger...

"What's wrong, Gift?" Cole asked, several feet in front of him.

"Cole, are their other dogs like you here?" Gift asked, holding a calm demeanor.

Cole hurried back to him, concern on his doggy face. "Don't know. Why?"

"Notice the difference from when we came in?" He pointed out the width and height of the tunnel.

Cole's frozen look told him everything.

"RUN!"

They were just in front of the entrance when they were blocked off by white and black... thingies.

"Arons," Cole muttered, tensing up.

"Dangerous?"

"No, not really. But you trip on your own two feet-"_ Hey! I have adjustment issues!_ "-and it's a hoard."

"Fools, all of you! Sink into darkness where you belong, filthy swine! Mwa ha ha ha!" the head 'Aron' yelled, rubbing it's tiny pads- legs (_legs_ is the _word_) together

"Ooookay, I'm definitely on medication," Gift muttered.

"Get ready for a fight, Gift!" Cole said, getting into a battle stance.

_I ain't ready for this! Help!_ He put his paws up and spread his legs, trying to gain balance in this strange world.

**HORDE VS. TEAM? **

**FIGHT!**

_Seriously, where is that voice coming from?_ Gift, annoyed, threw a kick at the nearest Aron. It was quicker than he thought he could move, so he missed. He regained his bearings and tried again.

Two hits, and one was down. Another one tried to tackle him and he dodged. He punched it and it really, really stung.

"OW!"

"You can endure it, Gift! Don't give up!" Cole had already taken down two Arons and was going for a third. Gift nodded and turned to face that Aron once again.

He got whacked in the face. Again.

"That's it! Let's see how you like it!" With that, Gift knocked his own head into the Aron's.

**K.O.!**

"That's great! You did it!" Cole hugged him from behind and he shoved him off. No hugs, no kisses and definitely none of that friendship stuff he had to listen to.

But he wouldn't mind ponies.

"Let's get out of here!" Cole grabbed his paw and tried to lead them out. Gift dug his feet into the ground and had to be dragged away.

But not before he saw the pile of Arons knocked out by Cole. He nearly pouted.

The light of dawn hit them sharply. Gift closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. _Ow._

"My baby! What about my baby?!" the bird shrieked at them, flapping her wings angrily.

Just as Cole opened his mouth, there was a cry from the tunnel in the ground. The bird came out dramatically with a big gust of wind. With a cry of joy herself, she launched herself up and circled her 'baby'.

"That turned out well." Cole sat on the ground and watched the two birds in the sky peacefully.

Gift blinked and sat down next to him. That was some day. Maybe he would wake up now and discover several months past and he was a coma all along. Or that he was already dead and this was his heaven... no. NO. This is _not_ heaven!

"So Gift, what happened to your parents?" Cole asked, reclining his paws behind his head.

"They were unalived in mysterious circumstances," Gift said seriously.

"Hmm... Do you want to discover why?"

"No, but undoubtedly, they'll come up in my origin story again later," Gift muttered darkly. "Now tell me about this world and all it entails. I want to know everything."

"Shouldn't you know all this already? Were you not born and raised as a Riolu?"

"_What_ is a Riolu?"

"Me and you. See?" Cole got up and pushed Gift to look at his own reflection.

There were two blue doggy things named Riolu in the reflection. One of them had a green necklace.

Gift fainted.

* * *

Notes:

Riolu can learn Dig by using a TM according to Bulbapedia.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own Pokemon.**

Started: 8/5/14

The birds were chirping. There was sunlight hitting him in the face. All was right with the world.

He wasn't on drugs.

"Wake up, Gift!"

He jumped a kilometer into the air and landed on his butt next to the butt. _Son of a-_ "Cole..."

The... Riolu? smiled at him. "I got breakfast. You must be hungry from all that digging we did yesterday!"

"Yeah..." Cole set a basket of food down between them and picked up a pink... fruit?

"Cole, what's this?" He picked up a red fruit and stared at it. Fruit didn't look like this in his world.

"Cheri Berry. Try it! You might like it," Cole said between chews.

He tentatively took a bite out of it. "It's certainly... different."

Cole beamed at him. "I didn't know what you liked so I just picked out a lot of random ones."

"Um, Cole, what else can we eat besides berries? I mean, I assume we can use these-" He gestured to his teeth and tiny claws. "-for something other than digging ourselves into trouble."

"Well, I guess we can eat other Pokemon, but I'd rather we didn't. Doesn't sit right with me, you know?" Cole shrugged and took another bite of his food.

"Pokemon? What's that?"

"You, me... everyone? I know, I'll make a picture of every Pokemon we meet and you can look at that!" Cole bounced up and rummaged through a treasure chest Gift hadn't noticed before. "Let's see, you remember those birds we saw yesterday, and those Aron?"

"Yes."

"Those were Pokemon. The lady bird was a Pidgeotto and the boy was Pigeot. They both evolve from a Pidgey and- I completely lost you, didn't I?"

Gift nodded, his face blank.

"I know! We can go to town and the elders can probably explain it all. Do you wanna finish eating or go now?"

"Now." They had towns. These strange little creatures had _towns._ Gift felt a hysterical giggle bubble up just below the surface, but he kept a tight lid over it. Wouldn't want Cole to be freaked out like the humans were.

"Alright! Follow me." Cole grabbed Gift's paw and he allowed it... this time.

It was rather strange. The way Cole's paw was shaped should have made it impossible to grab anything, yet he managed it. Somehow.

Well, his brain could make anything possible. Including in his own dreamworld.

Gift stared at the town. Creatures of all sizes, colors and species wandered around. Cole was used to it apparently, since he didn't slow down or stare like Gift was doing.

They walked passed a water fountain and Gift saw some blue fish things playing in it. Before he could get a good look at them, Cole tugged at his arm and led him away. They passed some shops and houses, all of which were handled by different creatures.

_Awesome._

"We're here, Gift! Now you have to be really quiet when he go in. Gramps doesn't like loud noises." Cole smiled at him with his eyes closed.

He pushed open the door. It was completely dark inside and he couldn't make anything out for a couple seconds.

From what he could make out however, was an ancient looking dog with similar looks to Cole sitting on the floor. Only bigger. And taller. And pointer compared to Cole.

The dog twitched. "Cole? And someone else?" he rasped, not opening his eyes.

"Hey, Gramps," Cole whispered, letting go of Gifts hands and approaching the old dog cautiously and quietly. "This is Gift. I found him in the forest."

"What have I told you about bringing strays home?" the old dog said, exasperated. "He has a strong aura. Perhaps he could better protect this town than the ones that came before."

Gift's ear twitched. "Sorry, but protect from what?"

The old dog waved his hand dismissively. "Bandits, Sneasels, the thing up in the mountain..."

"Ah, we're not here to hear about that, Gramps. Can you explain what a Pokemon is to us?" Cole cut in, changing the subject hastily.

"What is a Pokemon? It's... uh... That's a rather good question. What is a Pokemon? We have Grass types, Fire types and all sorts of things, but I have never been asked that question." He fell silent for a while. To the point Gift thought he was asleep.

"Can no one answer my question?" Gift muttered, brushing off the dirt on his necklace.

"The best answer I can give is this: Pokemon is every living and breathing creature in this world, no matter how dangerous they may seem," the old dog finally answered, ears twitching. "You can ask some of the others around town and see if you get another answer. For now, I must rest."

"Okay. Thanks, Gramps." Cole drew the blanket over the old dog before following Gift outside.

The light stung his eyes. Gift rubbed his eyes with his strange looking paw. So, every living and breathing thing. But what if they didn't breath? Gift was going to make Cole draw every Pokemon he ever met when they got home.

"He's not really my Gramps, you know." Gift looked at Cole, who had a sad glint in his face. The human turned Pokemon tilted his head. "He only adopted me when he couldn't find my parents." He smiled, like there was nothing wrong with his story. "So do you want to talk to anyone? Listen to their stories?"

"Maybe tomorrow. Let's go home." Cole nodded and moved to take his paw.

"Hey, idiot, that your new boyfriend?"

Cole completely froze.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own Pokemon.**

Started: 8/19/14

Gift stared at the one who had spoken. She was orange and yellow, with rabbit ears and she stood on all fours. Gift would say she was a cat Pokemon, maybe, if he had a bit more data.

"Hey, ain'tcha gonna say something?" She smiled at them with what Gift supposed was a carefree smile. If Cole hadn't been cowering behind him, he might have ignored her all together.

"I'm Gift. And you are?" he asked slowly. He squeeze the paw of the other Riolu carefully, trying to not draw attention towards it.

"I'm Sally! Where are you from?" So she wanted information, did she?

"From over there." He waved his free paw in a general direction. "If you don't mind, Cole was showing me around."

"Why don't I join you?" She started to move to Gift's other side before Gift spoke again.

"No, I think this should be something between Cole and I. Right, Cole?" He gazed at Cole in mock affection- one that looked like a endearing look to everyone else- and Cole jolted like he'd been hit.

"R-Right. Me and Gift, walk and talk, right." He took Gift's arm and tugged it. "L-Let's go, Gift."

"If you want to stop by my place, you're welcome too!" Sally yelled after them after they were a safe distance away.

"Care to explain what that was all about?" Gift drawled, close to yawning.

"She used to be nice before she evolved," Cole muttered, "and then it was like she wasn't one of us."

"Us who?"

"You know, unevolved Pokemon. It was like she grew up and decided the rest of us were too stupid for her or something," Cole moped.

"Such is the wonder of puberty." Gift rolled his eyes... somehow. "Don't worry. One day, she'll either grow out of it and become a better person or she'll just stay the same or get worse. I don't care. What I do care about is what type of Pokemon was she?"

Cole sighed. "A Flareon. They can breath fire and they evolve from Eevees." Gift stared blankly at him. Cole shrugged.


End file.
